Penthera, a company that specializes in download-to-go management systems and software, has hired Daniel Hurwitz to the post of chief revenue officer.

Hurwitz, who is late of companies such as SiriusXM, NBC Universal Media and AOL, is tasked with helping Penthera grow its position as a provider of technology that enables secure offline viewing of video and other types of media.

Hurwitz, who has also helped build and rebuild sales operations for comapneis such as Evergage, MapMyFitness and Audience Science, reports to Penthera COO Daniel Taitz.

Penthera said Hurwitz is being joined by his business development partner, Will Chapman, who is serving as VP of sales. Chapman has worked with Hurwitz at GoNoodle as regional VP, and at SiriusXM. Chapman is also the former chief revenue officer of BrightLine and was VP of sales at Audience Science.

“We like to join firms with unique and forward-looking products. Penthera’s suite of products to enhance mobile viewing are the right products at the right time,” Hurwitz said in a statement. “ With a growing team of engineers, Penthera helps  customers  reduce the friction that consumers experience when they view video on mobile devices.”

Penthera, the maker of a download-to-go software platform called Cache&Carry, counts customers such as Starz, A&E, Liberty Global, Comcast, Charter Communications, Showtime, and Corus Entertainment.

In October, Penthera announced a $6 million investment from Liberty Global Ventures.

DirecTV has issued an update to its TV Everywhere app for iOS and Android that lets subscribers download purchased and rented TV shows and movies, complementing a feature that lets customers download DVR-recorded content to smartphones and tablets.

The latest app also lets DirecTV customers purchase movies and TV shows and access them so long as they remain a DirecTV customer. Those customers can also download purchased and rented movies for offline viewing.

RELATED: DirecTV Adds Electronic Sell-Through Option

DirecTV issued the updates, spotted by Android Police, on Monday (June 26).

Notably, DVR streaming and downloading requires that DirecTV customers have an internet-connected Genie HD DVR model HR44 or higher. To download DVR-recorded content, those customers must be in their home and be connected to the same WiFi network that is connected to the DVR/receiver.

Per the FAQ, most programs downloaded from a DVR to a mobile devie will expire after 30 days from the last time the customer opened the DirecTV app, though some content may remain for up to 60 days. However, customers can download content again so long as a movie or TV is stored on the DVR itself.

DirecTV is the latest in a string of others that have enabled a download option for offline viewing. Comcast, for example, lets customers download some TVE content and allows X1 subs to check-out/download shows to mobile devices that have been recorded to the DVR.

Among other examples, Epix, Showtime and Starz allow downloading on their apps, as does Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.

RELATED: Hastings: Netflix Download Option Having ‘Small Impact’

Kaltura said it is boosting the quality of its online video platform and adding a “download-to-go” capability by implementing a “predictive” content delivery system from Akamai Technologies that prepositions some content on the user’s viewing device.

Under the agreement, which integrates Akamai’s Predictive Content Delivery system with Kaltura’s TV platform, the joint offering enables on-device caching of certain content in the background, based on the user’s profile and history, they said.

The result will allow for smooth offline viewing on any device regardless of network connection and quality, they added.

“By prepositioning video to the device, Predictive Content Delivery removes many of the barriers that discourage on-the-go viewing such as poor network conditions, heavy data usage associated with streaming video and access to available content,” John Sconyers, global senior director of cloud services partners at Akamai, said in a statement.

Kaltura’s customers include HBO, TMZ, Weather Nation, NBCU, TV Azteca, and TNT, among others.

MediaMall Technologies has launched a version of PlayOn Cloud, an app/service that lets users record and download content from a dozen OTT services, that works with Android smartphones and tablets.

 The expansion follows PlayOn Cloud’s debut on iOS devices.

PlayOn Cloud currently enables recording and downloading for a dozen OTT services, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, Yahoo View, HBO Now, YouTube, and apps from Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC, the CW, and PBS, and said more apps will be added.

The PlayOn Cloud app is free, but users must purchase recording credits, with one credit good for the recording of a full TV show or movie.

In tandem with the Android launch, PlayOn reduced the cost of a cloud recording from 99 cents to 40 cents, as well as discounted bundles of five, ten or 20 downloading credits.

MediaMall has previously insisted that PlayOn Cloud is legal,  holding that it’s protected by the fair use doctrine of U.S. copyright law and citing the 1984 Sony Betamax case. However, customers who use it run the risk of violating the terms of service of some OTT offerings.

RELATED: PlayOn Cloud Takes OTT Offline (subscription required) 

"This is a game changer for commuters, travelers, users with mobile data caps, and those who don't want to miss movies and TV shows when they expire from streaming services,” PlayOn president and CEO Jeff Lawrence, said in a statement. “While Netflix has recently offered some of its catalog for download, the vast majority of its most popular streams are not available to download in the Netflix app.”

PlayOn Cloud enables consumers to record content for later playback when the user doesn’t have access to an internet connection, but it’s also coming on the scene as OTT services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and others broaden policies to allow downloading, at least for a subset of their streaming libraries. MVPDs and programmers such as Comcast, Dish Network, Starz and Showtime also support downloading options.

RELATED: Hulu to Add Video Downloading ‘In a Few Months’

Comcast’s cloud DVR service for X1, for example, lets users “check out” a digital copy of a DVR recording to take with them for offline viewing on tablets and other supported mobile devices. Dish’s  $99 portable video device, HopperGO, lets subs take DVR-recorded TV shows and movies on the road for offline viewing.

Update: Awareness of those downloading options seem to be the big hurdle, according to a new study from downloading tech specialist Penthera reported here byVideoNuze. The poll of 1,000-plus adults 18-44 found that about one third or more of customers of SVOD services like Netflix didn’t realize that a download option was available to them.

Penthera, a company that specializes in download-to-go management systems and software, said it has promoted Josh Pressnell to chief technology officer.

In that role, Pressnell will head up tech strategy at Penthera and also monitor and design apps and services focused on data-heavy 4K and virtual reality that will also lean on digital download platforms.

Pressnell has worked on every software development kit Penthera offers, and was the primary architect of its core iOS SDK, the company said. His recent work includes new features such as FastPlay, which supports downloading as well as a way to improve streaming capabilities by pre-caching the beginning of a video asset that’s been identified by Penthera’s software as the most likely to be watched by the user.

Pressnell was also recognized by Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cableas a member of their “Next Wave of Leaders” class for 2017

Showtime, Starz, Comcast, and Charter Communications are among Penthera’s announced customers.

RELATED: Showtime Adds Download Option to Mobile Apps

“Josh combines the key ingredients necessary to lead Penthera as CTO: he is a stellar engineer and a terrific communicator.  We are excited to have Josh taking charge of an engineering team that has made Penthera an industry leader in technology for mobile video,” Michael Willner, Penthera’s CEO, said in a statement.

Add Hulu to the growing list of OTT service providers that will enable subs to download titles and watch them offline.

“Yes, it's definitely on our road map. It's something that we're going be doing in a few months. We're working hard on the technology around that and getting the rights squared away,” Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins told Adweek.

That keeps pace with the trend. Netflix added that option (for certain titles) last November, adding a feature that is also supported by another rival SVOD service from Amazon.

Hulu, coincidentally, is seeking those rights and capabilities as it gets ready to launch a virtual MVPD service. Comcast and some TV Everywhere apps from programmers like Starz already offer download options. Comcast’s cloud DVR service for X1, for example, lets users “check out” a digital copy of a DVR recording to take with them for offline viewing on tablets and other supported mobile devices. Hulu’s coming pay TV service will also offer a cloud DVR, though it’s not clear yet if Hulu will also allow subs to sideload recorded shows to other devices.

RELATED: Hulu Sneaks a Peek at OTT TV Service

“It's going to be fully functional, just like you could expect from a regular DVR,” Hopkins said in the Adweek interview.

Dish’s $99 portable video device, HopperGO, lets subs take DVR-recorded TV shows and movies on the road for offline viewing.

RELATED: Dish Pitches Free HopperGO to New Subs

Having Hulu join the downloading mix soon represents another step toward irrelevance for PlayOn Cloud, a recently launched service from MediaMall Technologies that enables users to record and download movies and shows from Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu, HBO Now and other subscription services.

RELATED: PlayOn Cloud Takes OTT Offline (subscription required)

Expanding the reach of its managed video downloading technology, Penthera said its Cache&Carry has been integrated with Digiflare’s Videa cloud-powered video app publishing platform.

Penthera’s download-to-go-software enables consumers to watch TV shows and movies without the need for an Internet connection. Video will also tie in Fastplay, a feature that, Penthera says,  enables mobile video app users to stream videos the instant they hit play without start-up buffering. 

The agreement could help Penthera secure beachheads with more distributors and programmers. Digiflare’s announced customers include Bell Media, PBS Kids, Rogers Communications, Charter Communications, Univision, Hearst, Verizon, CW Seed, PBS, Starz, Vimeo, and shomi, the multiscreen VOD venture from Rogers and Shaw Communications that will be shutting down on November 30.

Comcast, Charter, Time Warner Cable (now part of Charter), Starz, and Corus Entertainment are among Penthera’s announced customers.

RELATED: Penthera Downloads Charter, TWC Deals

“We partner with industry-leading infrastructure and software service companies, like Penthera, to support each of our customers’ unique needs, always delivering an improved mobile video experience,” said David George, Co-CEO at Digiflare. 

RELATED: Penthera Picks Up More Patents

“Digiflare provides a premier video app experience for some of the biggest content creators and video service providers in North America. We are always looking for partnerships that expand and improve the end user’s viewing experience: that’s why this integration with Digiflare makes so much sense,” added Michael Willner, Penthera’s CEO.

If you are a Netflix sub who travels a lot, some good news may be coming your way.

Once aloof on the idea, Netflix appears to be warming to a downloading option for some content, according to Light Reading.

That’s not coming from Netflix directly, but from other industry folks who claim to be in the know, including Dan Taitz, the new COO of Penthera, the maker of a “Cache & Carry” video downloading platform that counts Comcast as a customer, and Dan Rayburn, EVP for StreamingMedia.com and principal analyst at Frost & Sullivan.

Netflix, meanwhile, isn’t confirming (or denying) that it plans to offer a downloading option.

"While our focus remains on delivering a great streaming experience, we are always exploring ways to make the service better," Netflix’s Anne Marie Squeo, said in a statement. "We don't have anything to add at this time."

If Netflix does allow for downloading, which assumes it has secured downloading rights for enough of its library to make it worthwhile, it would represent a bit of an about-face.

Neil Hunt, Netflix’s chief product officer, argued last year to Gizmodo UK that downloading adds another layer of complexity and generally didn’t see it as a “very compelling proposition.” I would think that many Netflix subscribers are tech-savvy enough to figure out how to download a video, so that argument doesn’t make much sense to me.

And there are the comments made to TechRadar in 2014 by Cliff Edwards, then Netflix’s director of corporate communications and technology, who said “It’s never going to happen,” when asked when Netflix would allow for content to be viewed offline. Edwards is no longer with Netflix, so his opinion, at least when it comes to Netflix’s future plans, doesn’t really matter much anymore, but offers another lesson on why one should never say never.

Netflix has been travelling in a different direction. Rather than allowing downloads for offline viewing, Netflix did team up with Virgin America to allow streaming on select flights via WiFi on jets equipped with a high-capacity satellite-based broadband system from ViaSat.

But Netflix is apparently getting with the download program, perhaps realizing it’s a feature that its subscribers actually want. Plus, supporting downloads has almost becoming table stakes rather than a competitive differentiator. 

For example, Comcast lets its subs download a portion of its TV Everywhere library and allows for downloads of shows recorded to its cloud DVR system for X1. Amazon Prime also supports downloading for a portion of its library, and EPIX added that capability last fall. The new Starz app (for its OTT service and TVE offering) allows subs to download most of its library. Dish’s new $99 portable video device, HopperGO, lets subs take DVR-recorded TV shows and movies on the road for offline viewing.

And Netflix has been opening up to the idea amid its global service expansion.

“We should keep an open mind on this,” CEO Reed Hastings said in April during the company’s Q1 earnings call with respect to downloading. “We've been so focused on click-and-watch and the beauty and simplicity of streaming. But as we expand around the world, where we see an uneven set of networks, it's something we should keep an open mind about.”

Dish Network has launched the HopperGO, a portable video device that lets subscribers take DVR-recorded TV shows and movies on the road for offline viewing.

Dish, which introduced the product in January at CES, is selling HopperGO for $99. The device sports 64 gigabytes of storage (enough to store about 100 hours of DVR recordings) and a private WiFi cloud that allows up to five tablets and smartphones to connect via the Dish Anywhere app.

HopperGO is compatible with Dish’s Hopper 3 or Hopper 2 DVRs, connectable via USB. Dish said HopperGO is capable of four hours of local streaming on a single charge, and that the device can be used while charging.

“HopperGO is the perfect summer travel companion for nearly anyone, whether you’re road tripping, at the airport or lounging on a beach,” Vivek Khemka, Dish’s EVP and CTO, said in a statement. “It manages the burden of storage, so forget about deleting apps or pictures to free up space on your phone or tablet for video.”

Penthera, a startup that specializes in software that manages the secure downloading of video to mobile devices, has tapped media industry vet Daniel Taitz as its first COO.

Taitz, who is late of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and Univision Communications, will also serve as an EVP at Penthera, service on its board and report to company president and CEO Michael Willner.

Penthera’s announced customers include Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications. Among that group, Comcast is using Penthera’s Cache & Carry system for downloadable titles offered through its Xfinity TV go app and the “check out” capability offered through Comcast’s cloud DVR for its next-gen X1 video platform. 

Penthera said it is adding Taitz to the team amid a growth surge and as it broadens its global scope.   

“We doubled our customer count this year and built a very strong client pipeline,” Willner said, in a statement. “To maintain this trajectory, Penthera is enhancing its sales strategy, casting a wider net to reach the entirety of the very large universe of businesses delivering video direct to consumers both in the U.S. and internationally. Dan, with his breadth of experience in corporate and business development of all aspects of traditional and digital media, will be a key player in the development and oversight of this expansion.”

Taitz has  served as interim CEO for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, was an SVP of business affairs at Univision, and was general counsel and chief administrative officer at Oxygen Media Corp.  Before that, he was a partner at the Friedman, Kaplan & Seiler, LLP and an associate at Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

Earlier this year, Willner noted that Penthera was working on a next-gen version of its platform that will enable its partners to switch out ads in TV shows that have already been downloaded. 

Those capabilities, covered in several patents that have been granted to the company, will ensure that the ads in downloaded shows are kept fresh and should position MVPDs to secure additional rights that enable them to expand the amount of titles they can offer in a downloaded fashion. 

Amazon is the latest streaming service to fly the friendly skies.

Timed with the start of the holiday travel season, the retailing giant announced last week that its  Amazon Video service is now offered on more than 150 JetBlue aircraft equipped with free “Fly-Fi” connectivity.

Under the arrangement, Amazon Prime subscribers can log-in to access their video library, including Amazon originals such as The Man in the High Castle, while non-members can rent or purchase titles from the Amazon Video store.

As part of a multiyear deal, Amazon on JetBlue has been integrated into The Hub, the airline’s entertainment portal that customers access on their personal devices.

JetBlue said it plans to complete its installation of Fly-Fi, a service that uses Ka-band satellite technology, on its entire fleet in 2016. JetBlue currently has it installed on all its Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, and has begun installation on its fleet of Embraer 190s.

Access to Amazon Video complement’s JetBlue’s offer of 36 channels of live DirecTV service and 100-plus channels of SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Amazon, which recently introduced an option that lets Prime subs download select titles from their streaming libraries for offline viewing, joins a growing mix of OTT services that provide access on planes.

Netflix, which has shunned the video download distribution model, offers its SVOD service on select Virgin America flights. In the more traditional pay TV arena, Comcast and Epix are among those that let credentialed subscribers download movies and TV shows for offline viewing.

Joining a growing trend, premium movie network EPIX said it will soon let authenticated subscribers download titles to their mobile devices for viewing when they are offline.

EPIX said it’s adding the capability later this month via its mobile apps for the Kindle Fire and iOS and Android tablets and smartphones, and will be launched in tandem with a marketing campaign in partnership with affiliated distributors. 

While Netflix has remained cool to complementing its streaming platform with downloading, the download model has been picking up elsewhere. Amazon last week became the first subscription VOD streaming service to extend downloading to its apps for iOS and Android, complementing initial support for downloading  on Fire devices. Comcast also supports downloads for a portion of its VOD library via  its Xfinity TV Go app (including movie titles from premium nets Starz, Encore, Movieplex and Showtime), and lets users of its X1 Cloud DVR download recorded shows to mobile devices for offline viewing.  TiVo recently extended downloading capability to its Android app, building on a similar capability offered on iOS devices.

See this story (subscription required) in this week’s Next TV section in Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable  for more on the digital video downloading market, including insight from Michael Willner, CEO of Penthera, the company behind a platform called Cache & Carry.

EPIX said its new download feature will support movie titles from franchises such as The Hunger Games, James Bond, and Star Trek, original documentaries and music and comedy events.

“The EPIX goal has always been to provide our subscribers with next level enhancements, elevating how they can access content across devices,” said Mark Greenberg, EPIX president and CEO, in a statement.  “By creating a network first, true TV Everywhere experience, consumers can now download a movie from our library and watch it anywhere, anytime, even without a Wi-Fi connection - while waiting at the airport, traveling by train, commuting to work, or even on a camping trip. Consumers now have guaranteed content mobility.”

“From its creation, EPIX has focused on providing their premium movies and original programming to customers in as many ways as possible,” added Mike Angus, Time Warner Cable’s SVP and GM, digital. “Working with them to capitalize on technology to create more ways for our customers to watch is a great way for us to add value together.”

EPIX’s TVE platform also supports the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PS4, the Google Chromecast streaming adapter, Web browsers, Roku players, several smart TV platforms from makers such as Sony, Sharp and Philips, and Google’s new Android TV platform.

MVPDs that offer EPIX and have TVE rights for the service include AT&T U-verse, Bright House Networks, TWC, Charter Communications, Dish Network, EPB Fiber Optics, Frontier Communications, Cox Communications, Hargray, Verizon  FiOS and Mediacom Communications.